The invention relates to a filter element and to a fluid filter for filtering a fluid, in particular fuel or oil, comprising a filter medium which surrounds an inner cavity extending along a filter element longitudinal axis, and one end of which comprises a sealing connecting piece comprising an opening for fluidically connecting the inner cavity to a fluid channel of a filter housing. The sealing connecting piece comprises a seal having a radially inner sealing element and a radially outer sealing element.
EP 2 070 575 A1 discloses an oil filter for a motor vehicle comprising a filter element, the filter medium of which surrounds an inner cavity extending along a filter element longitudinal axis. The bottom of the filter housing comprises a discharge or drainage channel for discharging the oil arranged in the filter housing, into which channel a sealing connecting piece of the filter element extends when the oil filter is in the operating state. The sealing connecting piece comprises a double concentric seal comprising a radially inner sealing element and an outer sealing element that are in sealing contact with the side walls of the drainage channel and thus close the drainage channel in a fluid-tight manner. In order to discharge the oil arranged in the filter housing, the filter element has to be moved in the axial direction out of the sealing seat thereof, such that the drainage channel is fluidically connected to an unfiltered side of the oil upstream of the filter medium and to a clean side downstream of the filter element.
Using the filter element in the filter housing is associated with a relatively high force requirement on account of the design of the double concentric seal. Moreover, the double concentric seal may swell due to long-term contact with the oil, with the result that it is often difficult to move the filter element out of the filter housing in order to replace the filter element.
The object of the invention is therefore that of specifying a filter element and a fluid filter which allow for simplified handling together with an improved sealing function of the seal arranged on the sealing connecting piece.